Spurs vs Stoke - Nabil eyes 'important three points'

Posted on 28 December 2013
- 10:40

Nabil Bentaleb feels Sunday’s Stoke City encounter provides an ideal opportunity to get points on the board as we seek to carry momentum into the New Year.

After helping us earn four points out of six from our last two Premier League outings, the young central midfielder says he’s always on standby to come in and do a job for the team if selected by Tim Sherwood.

And with the Potters coming to the Lane on Sunday, the French teenager reckons we can better our performance against West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day before heading to Old Trafford on the first day of 2014.

“We need to try and get the win before we go to Manchester United,” the 19-year-old said of the Stoke fixture. “It’s an important three points to take.

“On a personal level I’m developing slowly. I’m just keeping working hard and waiting for the coach. Whenever he needs me I have to be available.”

Nabil played the last half-hour of the 1-1 draw with the Baggies, demonstrating maturity beyond his years in the engine room as we pushed on in search of an ultimately elusive winning goal.

“I feel good but at the same time I feel a bit disappointed because we didn’t get the three points,” he said after his senior home debut, a match that came just three days after he made his top flight bow in the 3-2 win at Southampton.

“We tried as hard as we could, we gave everything but it was just not going right for us. But we played positively.”